Source: www.DoctorsHub.com



Ovulation and menstruation are two very MUST-KNOW topics that should interest any woman of reproductive age (15 - 45 years). This is due to the fact that the sheer amount of influence they have on the quality of life that women get to live is overwhelming. Talk about that married woman who's been trying, unsuccessfully, to conceive for 7 years now or that 18 year-old girl who got herself knocked up while in her first year in the university? The list is endless. But shockingly, many women out there, at their own peril, display a discouraging nonchalance towards these topics. Sad.


In any case, for as many of you who want to learn about these topics, here are a summary of the 7 key facts about ovulation every woman must know:


#1. Ovulation is not the same as menstruation: menstruation is the monthly shedding of the uterine endometrium as evidenced by the passage of blood usually lasting 3-5 days every month. Ovulation, on the other hand, is the monthly release of eggs from the ovaries for fertilization. For most women with 28 days cycles, their ovulation happens on day 14 (counted from the first day of period) and it is the day of the month they are most fertile. This is why day 14 is often described as "No man's land"...except you intentionally want to get pregnant. So now that you know, don't go using the two as the same. They are completely different entities. And just for kicks, I often roll my eyes in shock and amazement when I hear an enlightened lady using the two synonymously!


#2. Pregnancy only occurs during ovulation: this may sound outrageous, but there are some women out there who don't know when they ovulate! No joke. And they (these women) come to us, crying, because they think they are infertile...and it may be because one old woman in their village has tied their wombs with black magic or their mothers-in-law are planning and plotting against their wombs. Ignorance is powerful something, walahi! Similarly, there are those who don't desire pregnancy, yet they have unprotected intercourse without knowing their day of ovulation. You are playing with sperm, sister! That said, it is important you know that majority of women with 28 days cycles ovulate on day 14, and the eggs released remain viable for about 24-48 hours before they dissolve. And again, the sperm can last up to 3 days in the female genital tract before it dies. That's why we advise women to count 3 days backwards and 3 days forward from day 14, to abstain from unprotected sex if they don't desire pregnancy, and vice versa.


NB: if you period is irregular, your ovulation day can be difficult to ascertain. Feel free to contact any of our doctors (http://doctorshub.com.ng/our%20doctors/) for help on how to figure out yours .


#4. Ovulation can occur in the absence of menstruation: usually, menstruation happens after ovulation when pregnancy fails to occur. For most women, they ovulate on day 14 and menstruate 2 weeks after. With the expectation of menstruation after ovulation, it is easy to think that the absence of menstruation would automatically mean the absence of ovulation. This is not so. There are certain conditions (such as asherman's syndrome, imperforate hymen, Mayer–Rokitansky–Küster–Hauser syndrome, or vaginal agenesis, etc) which can make a woman not see her period even though she is ovulating. For such a woman, she will feel the usual signs of ovulation such as fullness of breast, heightened sex drive, mild vaginal discharge, etc when ovulating, but 14 days after when her flow should naturally start, she sees nothing.


#5. You can have cramps while ovulating: some women have been known to experience cramps similar to those of menstruation when ovulating. This phenomenon is medically known as mittelschmerz. The lower-abdominal pain is usually one-sided and felt on day 14 in women with 28 days cycles. Unless the pain becomes too severe, it is usually ignored. When too severe, your doctor can prescribe you contraceptive pills that prevent ovulation from occuring in your subsequent cycles.


#6. You can bleed every month without ovulating: this condition is known as oestrogen-related breakthrough bleed, and this type of cycle is described as an anoulatory cycle (menstrual cycle without ovulation). It is not a normal occurence and is totally different from normal period flow. It occurs as a result of oestrogne imbalance in the body, and except a woman carefully plots her menstrual cycle, she may easily confuse this for her normal period flow.



NB: If you have complaints you would like a doctor's opinion on, please speak to any of our qualified doctors now. Visit www.DoctorsHub.com.ng.


Thanks for reading!


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